UFC 152 Fight Card: Will Nike Regret Signing Jon Jones?

Jon Jones' recent and numerous faux paus have tarnished his image as a fighter. Are Nike execs now facepalming in the wake of Jones' DWI and inept handling of his public relations?

No—not by a long shot.

While Jon Jones and Nike related parodies surfaced immediately after the UFC 151 debacle that resulted in the event's cancellation, it matters not to the world's most prestigious sports apparel company.

This is where critics interject with a tired line like "but it makes Nike look bad for one of their sponsored athletes to behave in such a manner," albeit with about a dozen more exclamation points and with fewer words spelled correctly.

Apparently, Nike doesn't think it's all that bad or else they would've canned Jones as well as the dozens of other athletes who have done less-than-ideal things during the duration of their sponsorships.

Should Nike have ceased sponsoring Jones?

Yes

No

Nike makes (or simply brands if you're a cynic) the uniforms for the NFL, an organization not known for the honorable reputation of its athletes.

Specifically, Nike sponsored convicted dog abuser Michael Vick in 2011. True, they did cancel Vick's sponsorship in the immediate wake of the allegations against him, but ultimately Nike only spoke with their wallet.

Nike's continued sponsorships of Ben Roethlisberger, Kobe Bryant and Tiger Woods amidst the sordid allegations against them all is further evidence that Jones isn't the only athlete to come under fire while under the Nike umbrella.

However, Nike isn't to be condemned for honoring these sponsorships. Not all athletes are paragons of virtue, after all.